Lucky me!

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 9:01 am

Yes, it will be noticibly lower, especially with the cap in, due to the decreased bottom end. Pull or switch the cap and the two will be different, but depending on your setup, not that radically different.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 12:15 pm

Ok, due to massive shipping fees (not to mention import tax) to the UK, im gonna have to wait till august to get my hands on the '73. Does anyone here own a bass similar to the one i just bought (ie a 70's 4001 with toaster)? id love to know what peoples experiences of them were/are.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 2:03 pm

Hi Owen, I have a 72 4001FL and had a 75 4001 with many older features except for two high gains, With the caps left in these basses the treble pickup is super trebley with absolutley no bottom end at all, (at least both of mine were) unlike the later 70's basses. They are either very deep or very trebley if you turn down the bass pickup. They sound like early Geddy Lee when he played with a very trebley sound (he has a 72 in mothballs somewhere, if he is seen with it, it may break his contract with Fender, haha). The necks are super slim, great necks, they are almost flat. You can easily bypass the cap from the treble vol. to the switch with a couple of strands of copper wire if you like, you will get a much thicker tone that cuts through better. This way you can put it back to stock easily if you like too, because the cap is still there, you are just bypassing it. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, so it is like there is no cap. On the other hand, you may like the sound the way it is. They are great basses. I'll never sell my 72. That is a nice looking bass you got there, my 72 is also Jetglo.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 2:05 pm

Oh, one more thing, these basses sound great with the cap left in using flatwounds with a pick.

robj · Post by **robj** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 3:56 pm

To cap or not to cap... that is the question.

It is around here for sure. <g>

('72 4001 FG ... cap'd)

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 12:09 am

Bob Young, thanks for the info, i was reading your post somewhere about wrapping wire over cap.......i was thinking "Electricity takes the path of least resistance" so thats cleared up!

I will probably bypass the cap. I like my treble, but you need the foundation too, in my opinion. I know the neck pickup provides the low end, but its mellower than the bridge pickup - going by 4003 anyway.

I remember trying a 1975 in a store, and the bridge pickup was just really weak and tinney. It kinda ****** me off, so probably no cap for me

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 7:51 am

Hi Owen, yeah it's all the cap too, the cap just blocks bass and mid so you'll keep all the treble that you would have anyway with the bypassed cap, you'll just get more low mid-bass. A Ric bass with the cap has kind of a scooped sound. Picture a graphic equalizer set to a V configuration with the V right at the mid-bass frequencies. The tone actually isn't that much different to me, you just get a lot more presence. I recently did that with a 79 4001, it doesn't have the punch of a modern one, but what a difference.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 8:20 am

my (brief) experience of playing that 75 with the cap was that the pickup was too quiet- almost useless. If that cap blocks bass and mid - and the level of treble is the same with or without it, why the hell would anyone these days want it?

I use a Trace Elliot GP7 amp, with a really nice 7 band graphic EQ - really brings out the best in a rick so i know i can get a "with the cap" sound by fiddling with the EQ - not that id want to.

Bob - major hassle here, and hey, maybe not possible: can you post a photo of your basses electrics, so i can see how you bypassed the cap? Long shot i know, but still.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 8:33 am

Owen, unfortunately I left my digital camera in Peru, but I'll take the pick guard off and try to describe it to you, it's actually very simple. I think it's the only cap that actually goes directly to the toggle switch, but wait until I take a look. I'll get that posted here by the end of this day.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 8:37 am

Bob thanks - what i am getting at is this:

The cap runs between the Bridge pickup and the switch yes? are the leads on either side of the cap bare wire?or are they insulated?

If the cap leads are bare i could simply wrap wire over them - i really dont want to take a soldering iron to the 73 if i can help it.

gpatt5762 · Post by **gpatt5762** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 2:36 pm

Owen,

Leave your bass BE!!

If you're amp's that good, use IT to reestore the bottom. Please do not toy with a collectible for any reason.

BTW, what you DO NOT want to take to your Ric is a soldering gun; That will degauss the pickups.

Your Loyalist Purist Friend,
Garry

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 3:43 pm

Hi Owen,
sorry it has taken so long to get back to you, one of those lazy Sundays I guess. The cap runs from the middle tab of the treble volume control to the lower left tab of the three way switch (with the pick guard upside down). I can understand your not wanting to solder the wire, but soldering under the pick guard is NOT going to degauss the pickups, you are actually not anywhere near them, and you would still need a blow torch to degauss them, you need some serious heat to degauss magnets. The reason I solder the little wire is that any little movement in the wire itself will translate into big time noise in your amp, kind of like a bad cord. If you are buying it to sit in your house as a collector's piece than maybe you would want to leave it alone. The way I do it, it is fully reversible and no one would ever know. (Except everybody here, haha)

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 3:44 pm

And yes, the wires are bare on either side of the cap.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 10:41 pm

A collectable sitting in my house?

No way!

That bass may be from 1973 but its getting played. Anyhow, it already has Buckle wear on the back and the back of the neck is dinged and chipped. When i get it, The bridge pickup cover is coming off, The bass will be re- setup with rotosounds by me, and the cap bypassed.

Oh, and please, no one tell me about the dangers of putting roundwounds on a 4001, i know it can be done by reading this forum, and every 4001 i see has rounds on it and the necks perfect.

Bob, thanks for the info

dano · Post by **dano** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 12:47 am

Hey Owen,
The cap should have .0047 on it (the smallest cap of the three in the control cavity). And yes, Rotosounds are safe to use on a 4001. I use Rotos on both my Rics with no problems.